Moving Forward (The Tengu Legacy Series)
by Brooke Thomas
Summary: It's Valentine's Day and Leonardo is still grappling with the aftermath of his journey into the future and back again. How will his family and his marriage hold together if he can't? Meanwhile Michelangelo begins his own adventure. Set around The Demon's Grasp and following on from Carapace Confessions.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey."

He almost dropped what he had so carefully been constructing. Her voice still startled him; it seemed like an echo of his past too good to be true. Leonardo clutched his gift a little tighter and hoped she hadn't noticed his expression falter. Quayla had begun to react with guilt each time he was reminded of his other life and now they both tiptoed around their time together like it was made of finely blown glass. No one blamed them really, but there were many days where he wished with all his might he could just forget what it was like to live without her, those memories had tainted everything. Each time she left the lair he struggled not to follow her, reassure himself that she had reached her destination unharmed. He reasoned with himself that to give in to those urges would mean he truly couldn't live in the moment and for the sake of his wife and his daughter he wouldn't accept that, difficult as it was.

He smoothed his face into what he hoped was a smile and rose from his seat at the kitchen table. "I-um, made you breakfast," he proffered. On the table sat a plate stacked with waffles and various berries, waffles weren't his strongest offering but he figured she'd appreciate the gesture and he could apologise to Donnie later about the state of the waffle iron (It hadn't taken kindly to being prised open with the butter knife).

Amusement spread across her face and she wove elegantly around the table to his side, draping her arm around him casually. "What's all this in aid of?"

He saw his moment and produced the carefully concealed gift he'd been working on with a twirl of his wrist. An intricate paper blossom was pinched between his fingers, each petal had been painstakingly folded to resemble a lotus flower and he'd managed to dye each tip with a flush of pink thanks to a little diluted ink from one of Splinter's red _sumi_ sticks. He flashed a rare dazzling grin and answered, placing the gift in her hands, "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Oh Leo, it's so pretty!" She gasped, turning the origami over and over to admire it, "Thank you," she wrapped both her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. His heart beat quickened in response as she took a cautious glance behind him before planting a kiss on his waiting mouth. It was easy to get lost like that, just the two of them, and as usual it was over too soon. He let out a small murmur of frustration as she gently pushed him away and asked, "So, did you find your card?"

"You got me a card?" He sounded surprised, it wasn't that they didn't care enough to bother but Valentine's Day was normally just another day, especially as most of the ones they spent together had been thousands of miles away from the commercialism that went along with it. He wasn't entirely sure what had prompted him to feel the need to embrace it now, well ok, maybe he did. All the years he watched it unfold in the other timeline, knowing he'd missed the chance to participate and wondering if she would smile like she had today.

"You're not the only one with a surprise up their sleeve," Quayla replied and sat down, grabbing a waffle and biting into it. Her eyes flicked back to his with a mischievous twinkle in them.

"Oh," he bit back a smile and pulled up a chair beside her, he glanced at the clock on the wall opposite, "Hey, aren't you going to be late?"

"Mmm-nunuh," She answered around her waffle and swallowed, "Jade is up already by the way, she's watching cartoons."

He nodded, "Yeah she got up when I did, she wanted to help me make you breakfast but I caught her putting fruit loops in the waffle mix and convinced her I probably needed a recipe for that so she went off to write me one."

"Good save," Quayla grinned and downed half a glass of juice, "I'd better get going."

She rose from the table and he caught her hand, "Just a sec," he tugged her so she wound up perched on his knee. He retrieved the flower and pushed it gently through where she'd gathered her blonde curls in a ponytail, "There," he whispered, locking eyes with hers.

Quayla's finger traced down his nose, "You are making leaving very difficult," she cocked her head to one side and pecked him on the cheek, "But I still have to go." She stood and this time he let her, she paused at the door, "Go find your card."

"Yes ma'am," He did a mock salute and then became serious, "Have a good day and please be careful Cute." It was an odd nickname for her, it had started years ago when his wife was still going by her initials alone to conceal her identity, by the time Quayla Thomas revealed herself it was too late the label had stuck.

"I will," She answered sincerely and blew him a kiss.

He listened as she said goodbye to their daughter and then quiet fell upon their home, several forms of bribery had been exchanged for a morning's peace but the sound of Raphael's door slamming signified it would soon be over. He sighed, regarded the waffle iron with dismay and began attempting to clean it.

Quayla's shift at the diner began at nine a.m.; she hurried along the sidewalk a little faster as she really didn't want to be late. The diner's owner, Anne, had been more than lenient with her about her comings and goings so on days where no disaster loomed she gave it her all.

She'd been away for a month at the drop of a hat the last time due to Leo and Jade needing to recover from their run in with Bishop and Karai, then there was the wedding and that had brought about its own set of troubles and the blissful week she had actually planned off had morphed into an ugly four. Her first day back after that she had been filled with shame, she went to hand in her uniform and apologise to the people who had been so kind to her for letting them down, again.

When she had walked in Anne took one sidelong look over her glasses at the neatly folded uniform, stuck a bony hand on her hip and waved the other at Quayla dismissively, "Ya can put that on out back hon." When she didn't move the older woman barked, "Now Quayla, customers can't serve themselves, this ain't a buffet!" That was that, no questions asked. Quayla tried to apologise at the end of the shift but Anne was having none of it, she just patted her hand and winked saying, "S'okay honey, don't fret." That small action was all it took to reduce her to a bubbling mess, the stress of the last few weeks had finally surfaced and Quayla wasn't sure she could stop the tears.

Anne had worried of course and parked her in the back at the kitchen counter, after seeing to the last few customers she reappeared with tea and pie, her own answer to life's problems.

"I'm so sorry," Quayla sobbed, she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. She hadn't cried this much since her father died, it was an odd release. She took a juddering breath, "I can't believe I'm being like this."

"Is Jade okay?" Anne asked carefully. She always made a fuss of her whenever Quayla took her to work.

Quayla nodded emphatically, "Yes, she's fine," she sniffled and took another breath, "Leo and I got married."

Anne reeled back and smacked her hand on the countertop, "Well honey if he's makin ya this miserable leave him!"

"Oh god, um, no, it's not like that," Quayla replied wiping her eyes again, "Something awful happened to him and it's just been really tough to deal with. I don't know how to help him and he's trying so hard to be there for us."

The older woman had smiled knowingly, "Then you'll get through it," she sighed in exasperation, "Honestly, you youngsters, you do everything backwards then wonder why it ends up so damn hard. Well, let me tell you, marriage ain't easy hon, it's not that you two change, it's everyone else! That piece of paper makes people around you act crazy; you gotta find a way to ignore it."

Quayla had smiled at the truth of Anne's words, only problem was her employer had no idea how crazy people could get when the man you married also happened to be a mutant turtle. Now, a few months down the line from her return to work she still felt as though life could fall apart at a moment's notice. The nice part of working was that she could leave all those worries behind, at least for a few hours. There she wasn't a mom or a wife or a sister, she just waited her tables and indulged in idle chatter about the specials or how the weather was, it was almost like meditation. God, sometimes she really missed living with the Ancient One, meditation was a need back then, now it was at the back of a very long line.

She shoved the door open and was greeted by an already bustling restaurant, the smell of eggs and grits carried by the heat of the kitchen wafted past her. Immediately she donned her apron and slung her bag underneath the counter, reached in the apron pocket for a pencil and pinched a spare order pad from the stack. Anne waved a hasty greeting at her from the opposite end of the diner and Ray shot her a grin from the serving window while flipping a pancake. Quayla scanned the place but none of the other wait staff appeared to be in and it seemed all of New York had come out for a Valentine's Day breakfast; it was going to be a hectic shift.

Quayla wasn't sure she had ever experienced such a busy day and when a lull in customers finally came Ray beckoned her to the kitchen's hatch and leant his ample frame on it wearily.

"Say kiddo, ya couldn't do us a big favour and stay on a bit longer could ya? Only Taylor called in sick and lord knows where Chastity is," He sighed and mopped his brow.

"I'll tell you where she is," Anne answered, suddenly appearing beside Quayla, "Not living up to her name that's for sure. She spent her whole shift yesterday mooning over yet another new boyfriend, should have known we couldn't count on her for today."

Quayla shifted uncomfortably, she'd let them down too much herself to offer any form of agreement, "Of course I can stay, it's the least I can do," she replied, "But if it's okay I really need to let Leo know I'm going to be late, can I grab my phone?"

"Sure ya can," Ray answered, "We appreciate ya helping hon."

"No trouble," Quayla grinned with her shell cell already in her hand; she typed a quick text to Leo;

WORKING LATE, PLEASE DON'T WORRY. BE HOME ASAP. Q X X X

She pushed send and waited for the whoosh before shoving the device into her pocket.

A busy couple of hours later Quayla grabbed a moment to take out the trash and check her phone, no reply had come from Leonardo which was unusual, he was quite conscientious about replying. She frowned and threw the trash in the dumpster behind the diner then got her cell out again; she was halfway through dialling home when a familiar voice spoke quietly from the shade.

"Are you alright?" His voice was taught, probably in part because he'd had to venture out in daylight. Leonardo stepped out of the cover of the alley fully clothed in jeans and a deep blue hooded jumper with a black baseball hat pulled down low over his face.

Quayla almost dropped her shell cell as she took in the sight of him, she'd seen all of the turtles disguised before but it was always strange to see them out like it. She checked the door to the kitchen was closed and quickly made her way over to him.

"You didn't get my message, did you?" She sighed when he shook his head, "Urgh! I waited for the whoosh and everything." She took his hands in her own, "I said I'd stay and help, the others haven't turned up and it's been packed all day. I'm so sorry I made you worry."

Leonardo nodded and she heard him swallow which made her own throat constrict in response, she felt wretched and wondered how long he'd been out here waiting. He was still silent and avoiding her stare so she wrapped her arms around his neck, that made him look.

"Cute, what are you doing?" He whispered and tried to disentangle himself from her grasp, "This isn't that good a disguise, and someone could see us."

"I like the disguise. A lot," Quayla winked, she toyed with the strings of the hood and he tugged the hat down further to cover his bashful grin.

"Go back to work," he chuckled and kissed her briefly.

The kitchen door suddenly squealed in protest at being forced open and Anne's small but formidable figure stood in it. Quayla glanced beside her and fully expected to be standing alone but to her surprise Leonardo still stood there, although she could almost feel his muscles yearning to escape.

"You okay there hon?" Anne called over; she crossed her arms to infer she meant business.

Quayla looked at Leonardo for assurance and squeezed his hand, he gave a stiff nod.

"Uhmm, Anne, I don't think you've met my husband," She stepped forward slightly and felt Leo tense further, she couldn't quite fathom why he hadn't disappeared when he had the chance after worrying about being spotted.

"Don't reckon I have," Anne replied while giving him the once over, "Leo, isn't it?"

Leonardo took a deep breath before answering, "Yes ma'am. I just wanted to thank you for looking out for Quayla and Jade."

Anne batted away the gratitude as if it were a fly after her prize cheesecake. "No need for thanks, your wife works hard and little Jade, well she's a peach. Say, why don'tcha come in for somethin' to eat? I'm just about done with Quayla and it's the least I can do after she's been such a good help today."

Quayla opened her mouth to make a plausible excuse but Leonardo beat her to it.

"That's a very kind offer but perhaps another time? We should probably get going..."

The older woman shoved her glasses further up her sharp nose; years of dealing with the public had made her shrewd. "Of course, if you really wanted to thank me you wouldn't turn down the offer and there's a table in the back, away from the noise."

The couple exchanged a worried glance, now Anne had them in a bind. There was no way Leo would want to offend his wife's employer and refuse her southern hospitality, a rare thing in New York. He reluctantly agreed to the table in the back and they sat in an awkward silence. Anne soon bustled along with three slices of her best apple pie and coffees for them then pulled up a seat at their table.

"My feet are killin' me," she proclaimed and again eyeballed Leonardo who seemed to be sinking further into his chair. She leaned forward and addressed them both, "Look it's none of my business but I know what's going on here."

"You do?" Quayla asked with an edge of panic colouring her tone, Leonardo now looked officially ready to bolt for the door.

Anne pursed her lips. "Mmm-hmm, you aren't the only ones to come through my door running from something or someone. I don't know what ya did and frankly I don't much care, just don't be bringing in here, okay?"

Leonardo sat up straighter now and cleared his throat, "I assure you, you aren't at risk and we aren't on the run."

The woman nodded and relaxed a little in her seat, the sound of the bell on the diner door jingled and two customers walked in and sat at a window booth. Anne checked they were seated and nudged Quayla, "Say, could you take their order? I just need to get my second wind." Quayla nodded but shot Leonardo a look of dread as she passed him, this was going badly and the last thing she wanted was to leave him alone.

Anne's laser focus was now back on Leonardo, she waved her fork in the air as she spoke, "Y'know a friend of mine a ways back was rescued from some nasty lookin' gang members by some costumed vigilantes, said they were dressed as giant turtles, figure I'd kinda owe them one for seeing her right. Don't suppose ya heard about that?"

The comment hung in the air for a moment before a loud buzzing sound interrupted the silence. Leonardo dug into his pocket and retrieved his shell cell, he checked the ID, and it was Raphael.

"Please excuse me, I have to answer this," He said quietly and flipped open the cell. "Everything is fine, we'll be home soon. No, we're at the diner, I'll explain later. Bye." He turned to Anne and gave her a strained smile, "Sorry. Now I'm not sure Quayla or I had heard about your friend but if we had then I'm sure you could appreciate that her rescuers would want to remain out of the public eye."

Anne smiled warmly now, "I'm sure I could hon and I promise I wouldn't say a peep, y'know, if I knew anything, which I don't."

"Then we understand each other and I'm again in your debt," Leonardo answered humbly.

"You're not how I thought you'd be. I thought Quayla had shacked up with some wannabe gang member. I've seen nice girls like her fall for the wrong guy time after time but I know now that you're one of the good ones. You look after them Leo, and don't be taking risks by coming to see the likes of me," She hesitated then grasped his hand in her own, shock at the lack of two fingers registered briefly but quickly disappeared, "I'm glad you stayed though."

Leonardo smiled, "Me too."

Quayla reappeared at that moment; her expression was brimming with questions but after seeing how at ease Leonardo seemed to be the concern at least dissipated, "Everything okay?" She queried and hoped her voice wasn't showing the strain.

"Yep, no problem," Leonardo answered and turned to Anne, "So can I steal my wife away from you now?"

"Sure honey, use the back door though won't ya?"

They nodded, Quayla retrieved her things from behind the counter and waved goodbye to Ray who still stood at his station plodding through the last few orders, and then after a final goodbye to Anne they slipped away into the dusk.

"Well that was interesting," Leonardo stated over his shoulder as he gently reaffixed the manhole cover above him. Further down the service ladder he heard Quayla huff and gritted his teeth, he was probably going to pay for making her worry, he decided it was better to get his apology in now. "Look Cute, I'm sorry," he called as he made his way after her, "I just thought it was right to thank her."

"Are you insane?" Quayla shouted and stomped on ahead, "You could have ruined everything!" She threw her hands in the air, "Dammit Leo, it's the missing villager all over again, you just have to push the self-destruct button, don't you?"

He came to an abrupt halt, frowned at her remark and folded his arms. "You can't seriously think that's what I do?"

She turned around at that and walked briskly back towards him and pointed an accusing finger in his face and hissed, "I think you're afraid to be happy. I think you've spent so long being miserable that you can't enjoy things going right."

"Really?!" Leonardo raised his voice now, he reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders and she met his stare with contempt, "I'm not afraid of anything, I just wanted to do the right thing and not run away for once!"

Quayla shoved his arms off her and gritted her teeth, "But y _ou_ didn't have to do anything, _I_ had it covered," she snapped but then concern crept into her tone, "Leo, you're always so careful but that move back there was reckless, you put us all at risk."

"I didn't mean to," He sighed heavily when the realisation hit, "I'm not myself lately."

Now she put her arms around him. He was still suffering and she had no idea how to make it stop, nothing she could do or say could remove the memories, the only person capable of such a thing was perhaps the Ancient One but then what would be left of her Leo?

"Thanks Cute," He mumbled into her hair.

She clutched him a little tighter and said into his ear with a faint smile, "Don't thank me, I'm still mad at you," then she nuzzled his neck letting him know she had actually all but forgiven him.

"Um guys?" The faint voice of Donatello echoed down the pipe, "Is everything alright? Sensei said he uh, heard shouting..."

They parted for a moment, Leonardo's eyes begged her not to say anything, and she gave a slight nod.

"Everything is fine Don, we'll be there in a minute," Quayla called out in response and focused her attention back on Leonardo, she spoke in lower tones now she realised too late that they had an audience, "Leo, you need to stop shutting us out, we can't help you if you don't talk."

He laughed and it came out as a bitter choking sound, "I talked to everyone, it's you I can't talk to and yes, I'm afraid to in case I pull you down with me. I just want you to be happy, not burdened by what might have been."

Quayla thought for a moment and replied, " _Keizoku wa chikara nari._ I can handle it Leo, you don't have to protect me."

"Persevere and never fear huh?" He raised a brow at her.

She shrugged. "Something like that, just don't stop trying," she pointed at the lair entrance, "We should probably go home." The thought of Jade going to bed without seeing her parents was weighing heavily on her mind.

Leonardo agreed and they walked in together where they were immediately greeted by a pyjama clad Jade flinging herself at their middles, her small arms squeezed them both tightly. Leonardo mussed her hair affectionately. "Sorry we're late Jade."

"I wrote you three recipes," she beamed up at them expectantly.

Quayla grinned then cast a wary glance at the kitchen, it looked intact, "You didn't cook any of them though...right?"

Jade pouted a little, "No, Uncle Mikey was busy so Grandpa and me practiced writing them, wanna see?"

She didn't wait for an answer and dashed off to retrieve her handiwork. Splinter emerged from behind his shoji screen door with his brow furrowed, he hobbled over to them and closed his eyes leaving one clawed finger pointing skyward and the other hand clutching at his gnarled cane. That gesture still had the power to fill Leonardo with dread and he gulped hard.

The old rat spoke softly, "I do not wish to interfere in your private matters but I must insist you do not air your differences quite so loudly when your daughter might hear you."

Quayla's hand shot to cover her mouth, she removed it slowly. "She didn't, did she?"

Splinter shook his head, "You are fortunate her hearing is not as keen as mine. I trust you have resolved your disagreement?"

"Yes Sensei," they echoed in guilty unison with their heads bowed.

Their master rubbed at the tufts of fur on his chin and let out a long, whistling breath before dismissing them both.


	2. Chapter 2

Leonardo and Quayla stood stock still as they watched their master shuffle away, the couple's gaze slid sideways and they shared a look of regret. Their morning had begun so well but the day had wound up a disaster. They parted in silence and set about their evening chores, while Quayla put Jade to bed Leonardo checked in on each of his brothers who had all managed to respectfully disappear during their return.

Having seen Donatello and called Michelangelo who was apparently out visiting April, Leonardo finally found Raphael sitting cross-legged on the floor of their makeshift garage. His brother's head was cocked to one side as he peered into the chassis of his motorbike and grasped blindly behind him for a socket wrench. Leonardo bent down and smoothly retrieved it then tapped it softly against his brother's shoulder.

"Thanks," Raphael answered without turning, he merely peered closer at the bike as he took the wrench and began quickly tightening what must have been a loose nut. He let out a satisfied sigh when he'd finished. "That nut has been drivin' me nuts for weeks, each time I took her out I couldn't figure out what the rattle was."

Leonardo smirked and leant against the nearby wall. "Her?"

Raphael rose and patted his gleaming bike with pride, "Yeah, and I had ta treat my baby good for Valentines so she'll look after me."

"About that," Leonardo started then hesitated, unsure of how to begin or even if to begin. He crossed his arms tightly and decided against continuing.

Raphael narrowed his sharp gaze on his brother, "Spill," he instructed.

Leonardo grunted and face-palmed before replying, "I screwed it up. Big time."

"Jeez Leo, I know ya didn't forget, how the shell could you have screwed up from there?" Raphael asked in disbelief, his own bribe from his brother to stay out of the way this morning was still burning a hole in his pocket.

So Leonardo confessed the whole sorry day to his brother and when he finished and looked expectantly to Raphael, who had taken to leaning up the wall next to him, for some form of advice. He was more than a little annoyed to see him laughing.

"Why are you laughing? This is serious," he said indignantly, although he should have known better than to confide in Raphael now, the brother he had come to know in the future could be very understanding but this Raph clearly had a way to go before that.

"Sorry Bro, but I got this picture in my head of you sat drinkin' coffee like nuthin's up and Q with steam comin' out of her ears about to tear you a new one," he wiped his eye and took a few breaths to help the laughter subside. When he'd calmed himself he continued and sounded more sincere, "Seriously, what were ya thinkin'? If Splinter finds out Q won't be the only one mad at ya."

A disgusted noise escaped Leonardo's throat, "I know. I'm an idiot," he muttered and stared at his feet, he realised then that he was still wearing his disguise.

Raphael elbowed him hard making him look up, "Yeah, but you're our idiot. Look, I ain't gonna say anythin' just quit moping. We know you've been through stuff but it's over, we need the old Leo back now."

His brother's candour took him by surprise, they needed him? He wasn't aware he hadn't been fulfilling his duties as a brother and a leader, he had tried hard to maintain what he thought was normal behaviour. "I-I'm sorry, I'll do my best," he tripped over the words but he truly meant it.

Raphael nodded and pushed off from the wall, his gaze had refocused on his precious bike and he sat before it amongst his tools having spotted something else that didn't meet his exacting approval. Leonardo took that as his cue to leave but paused at the garage door, his brother was more understanding than he'd given him credit for.

"Thanks Raph," he added.

"Yeah, yeah," Raphael replied distractedly.

Leonardo ambled slowly up the stairs toward the bedrooms and crept silently towards Jade's room at the end of the balcony to listen for her breathing, it was slow and even indicating that she was already asleep. He backed away and braced himself for what he hoped wasn't another argument as he opened his bedroom door. He'd barely managed a foot through the threshold before Quayla dragged him inside with such force it sent the two of them crashing down towards their bed. She laughed breathlessly beside him and lifted the baseball hat he still donned out of his eyes which were wide with shock.

"Cute," a nervous laugh escaped him, "What are you doing?"

His wife took the hat off now and sent it twirling into the nearest corner, she grinned sheepishly at him. "I thought perhaps we could salvage what's left of the day," she cast a look down at herself and blushed, adding quietly, "I told you, you weren't the only one with a surprise up their sleeve."

Leonardo followed her eyes and gulped, he was suddenly staring at red satin, not much of it either. "Ohhh," was all he managed to utter initially then he shook his head, "I will absolutely regret this, but aren't you supposed to be angry with me?"

Quayla pretended to think for a moment and then tugged at his shirt so their faces were almost touching, "Furious," she whispered as he gave in to temptation and kissed her.

He pulled away moments later, "It's a shame we aren't alone."

"We're alone enough," she replied glancing around their empty room.

Leonardo fidgeted uncomfortably, intimacy was always awkward in such close quarters, "I'm not so sure," he swallowed, the usual unidentifiable hum that came from living with others still bubbled beneath them.

Quayla sighed and kissed his cheek, "It's okay, don't worry," she murmured half-heartedly and turned over, "Night."

"Night," he whispered, knowing already that sleep was going to evade him.

"Cute?" He asked softly, he was half hoping she was asleep by now. His arms were wrapped around her and he felt her wriggle slightly then turn her face towards him.

"Changed your mind?" She mumbled dreamily, she had probably been on the cusp of sleep.

Leonardo felt a pang of guilt about halting her earlier advances and brushed a stray curl out of her eyes, his fingers lingered on her cheek, "I love you."

She yawned and propped herself up on her elbow to answer him, "I love you too," she paused when she noticed his pensive expression, "What's the matter?"

"You were right," he replied, "I am afraid, terrified, in fact. I can't let myself be happy in case I lose it all again," he took an unsteady breath, "I'm not sure I deserve to be this lucky and I guess I'm always waiting for the axe to fall. When you died I was a mess, I thought living without you was my penance for wanting us to have it all." Quayla was biting her lip hard throughout his admission, he wanted to stop when he saw that his words were upsetting her but it was such a relief to say them aloud that he couldn't.

Eventually she spoke. "How many lives do you think you and your brothers have protected over the years?"

He frowned, unsure of why she would ask such a thing. "We've helped quite a few people I suppose."

"So why would you think you don't deserve to be happy? You're a good man Leo, an honourable leader and a loving father. It wasn't your penance, it was twisted vengeance dreamt up by a monster who couldn't comprehend love or honour and he's still getting his revenge if you don't move on and...and..." Quayla's voice broke on the last part and her dark eyes filled with tears soaking the lashes with crystal droplets that threatened to spill over.

Leonardo folded her into his arms again and rested his chin atop her head. "And stop moping," he finished her sentence with a little of Raphael's intervention.

"Exactly," Quayla's muffled voice came from against his plastron.

A commotion from downstairs suddenly drew their attention. They moved swiftly, Leonardo leapt nimbly from the bed, grabbed Quayla's silk kimono robe from the back of the door and tossed it to her. She wiped her eyes, slung it on and tied the belt tightly as they exited the room and peered over the mezzanine's balcony, the sound of raised voices and excitement increased but they couldn't pinpoint the location only that it was mostly Michelangelo and Raphael. Leonardo rolled his eyes and hoped it hadn't woken Jade.

When they reached the source of the noise it turned out to be emanating from the garage, Michelangelo and Raphael appeared to be engaged in a heated discussion, Donatello stood beside them trying to intervene, their arrival didn't seem to have registered with any of them. Leonardo cleared his throat loudly which prompted immediate quiet.

"What the shell is going here? You'll wake Master Splinter and Jade," He demanded and glared at his brothers.

Michelangelo, who was dressed similarly to how Leonardo had been earlier with the substitution of a beanie hat, crossed his arms and stood in sullen silence. Raphael did the same.

Donatello raised his eyes to the heavens and t'sked, "Oh for god's sake," he shook his head and addressed Leonardo, "Mikey went on a date."

The news did take him aback, he was pretty sure his mouth had dropped open a little and in that moment he was stumped. Quayla was still stood beside him and had said nothing up to this point, in family matters she always deferred to his leadership and stayed out of it but now she stepped forward and put an arm around Michelangelo, his little brother looked so grateful in that instant that Leonardo wondered if he might break down in tears.

"That's great Mikey, how did it go?" Quayla asked encouragingly and rubbed his shoulder.

"It ain't great Q; I caught him tryin' ta bring her back here!" Raphael snapped before Michelangelo could reply and followed his accusation with a pointed stare, "You can't just invite a stranger into our home."

Michelangelo shrugged Quayla's hand from his shoulder and folded his arms defensively. He glared at Raphael and then waved a hand wildly in Leonardo's direction, "But Leo did! It's not fair. I trust Alexis!"

"Mikey," Leonardo began gently, "It was a little different for us. Where did you meet her?"

He jutted out his lower lip and mumbled, "Internet."

Raphael threw his arms in the air in disgust; they came to rest on his head as he stalked away muttering incoherently. Donatello shot Leonardo a despairing look, he hated to see his family arguing and, like most older brothers, Leonardo didn't want to see his younger brothers upset. He acknowledged the plea and racked his brain as to how best to deal with what was already a delicate situation.

"I think it'd be best if Mikey and I go have a chat in the dojo," he tipped his head in its general direction knowing it was further away from their sleeping quarters and Michelangelo reluctantly obliged, as he passed Leonardo his usually cheery face was darkened by betrayal. Leonardo patted his shell as he passed and called out behind him as he followed, "It's late. You should all go to bed." His eyes connected with Quayla's and he sighed apologetically, they were finally talking and why was he only now noticing how nicely the silk of that robe fell over her curves? He dragged his eyes away with a guilty grin, recalling what she was wearing underneath it and shook his head, taking a deep breath to refocus before marching to the dojo.

Michelangelo stood in the centre of the tatami mats waiting for him. He looked to be trying to appear calm but his hands flexed nervously at his sides.

"Sit down Mikey," Leonardo instructed and did the same, he was weary now and wished Master Splinter hadn't been quite so obvious in his absence. "Tell me what happened."

Confusion flittered across Michelangelo's face that he was being granted a chance to explain and he quickly began recounting his tale.

"Well it started a few months ago, as you know I'm on a fan forum for The Justice Force," He paused and frowned at Leonardo's blank expression, "Dude, seriously? Anyway, so I got talking to this girl and she's like, as big a fan of Silver Sentry as I am! We talked all night about all kinds of stuff; she likes video games, comics and even jalapeño pizza. We talked every night after that, she's amazing bro, but then Valentine's Day was coming up and she's all bummed out that she's gonna be on her own so I had this crazy idea that we could go out 'cuz y'know, I was on my own too."

He sucked in a gulp of breath and continued. "I didn't think she'd show but she did! I took her to Antonio's and then we went for a walk and just talked and talked, she wanted to know where I lived so I showed her," he shrugged, "It's not a big deal, I made sure she couldn't see how to get here, that's why we came in through the garage, but Raph had to go all psycho so I took her back out and called her a cab. He's probably scared her off for good! That was my one shot Leo," he added with a tinge of sadness, "I really like her."

Leonardo rubbed his chin, a habit of Splinter's he'd picked up over the years and reserved for such occasions. "So she wasn't bothered that you're a mutant turtle, it was just a normal date to her?"

"Um," he ducked his head and avoided his brother's scrutiny, "Well I kinda told her I was the Turtle Titan and she kinda thought I was in costume so I went with it. If she gets to know me I'm sure it won't bother her."

"Mikey," Leonardo chided softly, "You know you can't start out on a lie and even April fainted twice when she really saw us for what we were."

The youngest nodded, his eyes were still downcast and his shoulders slumped in defeat. He took in a halting intake of air and pulled his knees up to his chin as if they could defend him from the truth. "But Cute didn't."

He sighed, Michelangelo was making this hard on both of them, "No, but she spent a lot of time in the Nexus, she said she'd seen far stranger things than me. The average New Yorker hasn't even come close to someone like us, of course it's possible for them to like us and be our friends but we have to be careful, some people are going to want to take advantage and some simply won't understand. You've got a big heart Mikey; don't let it cloud your judgement."

"You don't trust me," Michelangelo mumbled over his knees, "She'll understand. I know she will."

Leonardo thought for a moment, clearly as dejected as Mikey was he wasn't going to give up easily and if anyone could understand what he was going through it was him. "I think you should invite her over," he watched as his brother's face suddenly lit up, "I'll talk to Raph but you have to clear it with Sensei first, it wouldn't be right to hear it from me."

Michelangelo was practically fizzing with excitement now, "I'll message her tomorrow," he beamed and sprung a crushing hug on Leonardo which sent him crashing into the mats, "Thanks Leo. You're the best!"

"Woah," Leonardo extracted himself from the hug so he could once again make sure his youngest brother was paying attention, "You also need to be honest with her, give her a choice and be prepared to accept the answer."

He nodded vigorously and tried his hardest to appear sincere but an illuminating smile kept finding its way back to Michelangelo's face. "Any other advice?" he asked hopefully.

A cacophony of thoughts bombarded Leonardo at once, there were so many mistakes, what would he have done differently? Then it struck him, nothing. He would make every one again because he was still learning from them, although perhaps just a couple of small but difficult things would help his little brother learn faster.

"Be honest with yourself," The eldest replied and stood in a fluid movement, he gave Michelangelo a wry smile, "And don't waste a minute."

"Got it," he answered enthusiastically.

Leonardo jutted a thumb at the dojo exit, "Speaking of not wasting time."

Michelangelo stretched out happily and lay in the centre of the dojo as if he were about to make a snow angel. "Sure thing bro," he said dreamily, "I'm gonna stay here for a bit."

"Okay, night Mike," he couldn't help but smile even though he worried what the future would hold, the thought of having to console a heartbroken Mikey made a lump form in the back of his throat. He stopped halfway up the stairs, one hand paused on the rail, "I'm worried about the future," he whispered, had become like a mantra lately, it reminded him that the future was still in flux and it strengthened his resolve.

When he silently entered their bedroom he found Quayla sat in bed hunched over a book by candlelight, she was chewing at her thumbnail while the other hand gripped the spine of the book tightly. He smiled and tiptoed over to slip in beside her, that disturbed her concentration and she scooted closer still clutching her book as she rested her head against his shoulder. Leonardo circled his arm around her waist, "I thought you might be asleep."

"I decided I'd catch up on some reading," she stuck a worn leather bookmark into the text and tossed it aside, "What happened with Mikey?"

Leonardo craned his neck to see what she had been reading so intently. A dog eared copy of 'The Time Traveller's Wife' stared back at him accusingly.

"Leo?"

His attention snapped back to her, "Sorry. We talked, I suggested he invite the girl over but he has to ask Master Splinter's permission and explain to her that he isn't a cosplayer."

Quayla shot him a quizzical frown, "A what?"

"She thinks he was in costume. It's going to devastate him if she doesn't want to see him again," he exhaled deeply.

"Oh," she replied and began twisting the edge of the comforter covering them between her fingers, "Y'know, I hate to say it but I'm kind of with Raph on this one, isn't it a little risky inviting a stranger in?"

He nodded, "Yes, but I'm going to trust his judgement. He deserves a chance at happiness and I'd prefer it if he felt like he doesn't have to leave the lair to do that."

"You don't want him sneaking around like we did," she laughed and nudged him.

Truthfully he didn't want that. Yes, all of his brothers were old enough to make their own choices and their own mistakes but he didn't want them to feel like he had when he had first fallen in love, like it was something to hide. "As fun as that was, no," he grinned and added casually, "So how's the book?"

"It's sad," Quayla replied picking the book up and handing it to him, "Time travel causes them a lot of pain and heartache, I don't know if I want to read the end."

Leonardo turned the book over in his hands and after scanning the back cover dropped it on the floor beside the bed. "Then don't read it, we'll make up our own ending," he answered simply.

"How would you it end then?" she asked quietly.

He tugged at the silk tie gathered at her waist and traced a finger over the warm skin exposed there, she gasped and caught his hand then gave him a scowl at the temperature of it, it was always freezing in the dojo. Leonardo smiled apologetically and replied, "The traveller realises that time is irrelevant because it stops when he's with the woman he loves. He never leaves again and they live in a perpetual moment together."

"Hmmm," Quayla's expression was sceptical, "You haven't read it. The traveller doesn't seem to get a choice."

"Figures, but I don't need to read it; choice or not if he loves her then I know that's what he wants. It's what I would want," He leant back against the pillow and frowned, it made a small crunching sound. Leonardo ran his hand beneath it and came into contact with what felt like a square of card, he pulled it out and immediately realised what he was clasping. "Cute, I swear I looked everywhere for this," he exclaimed as he opened the now shell battered envelope, she made no attempt to conceal her amusement at having managed to outwit him.

The valentine's card was simple, it carried an age old sentiment but Leonardo wondered if there had ever been a more apt use for it, he read it over again, felt the weight and truth of each word, 'I love you more today than yesterday but not as much as I will tomorrow.'

Quayla spoke softly, "There will be tomorrows for us Leo, I can't promise you how many but worrying about them won't make the most of what we have."

He knew that she was right and again he wished for that unreachable off switch so he could embrace hope. In some respects the other timeline was easier because there was no hope left for the two of them, he was a father to their daughter and she was all he had left of her. But now he was wasting their second chance on second guessing, how many times during those dark, lonely hours had he wanted just one more day with his love? Would he have spent that last day worrying or would he have spent every ounce of his being making enough memories to last him a lifetime?

Leonardo's hand was warmer now; he found her jaw and coaxed it toward him. The scent of the jasmine fragrance she must have applied that morning still lingered and he kissed her neck to inhale more of it. When Quayla gasped this time it wasn't from the cold as he followed her collarbone with lingering lips. She returned the gesture and he moaned involuntarily, she snickered and shushed him before carrying on.

"Ahh, I don't, ahhh, care," he exhaled and shut his eyes as she moved beneath him.

"Oh really?" She teased, she was almost daring him.

Her face was level with his again when she spoke and he took full advantage, leaving them both needing air. It was suddenly easy to let passion override reason, he meant it, and he didn't care in that moment. "Really," he stated with as much conviction as he could manage being out of breath.

Quayla raised a delicate brow; her face was flushed pink against the viridian of his skin. "Hmm, we'll see about that," a coy smile played at the corners of her mouth, she snuffed the candles out beside their bed and they melted into the heat of the darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

Leonardo had awoken the next morning feeling like a burden had been lifted from his shoulders, he realised with quiet awe he wasn't dreading the day ahead and that hadn't happened for as long as he could remember. He noticed his wife too had a glimmer back in her eyes that had been absent since their wedding day. They breezed through the morning in a blissfully coordinated blur, the simple tasks that had previously resulted in awkward silences and serious conversations were executed without the need for discussion. Jade seemed to sense the lift in their mood and went off to school beaming without protest, although she had pulled a face only a six year old could muster when Leonardo kissed Quayla goodbye with a little too much enthusiasm.

Now he sat with his brothers in the dojo facing Master Splinter who assigned them a sparring partner each and they began their training for the day. Leonardo was paired with Raphael and Donatello with Michelangelo, he was grateful for that as he hadn't broached last night's incident with Raphael yet but he hoped Michelangelo had made good on his promises and at least spoken to Splinter. Splinter had excused himself to meditate shortly after issuing their exercises so it was hard to gauge his mood.

He focused on Raphael who was advancing quickly for his attack and deflected the sai cleanly with his katana. Raphael easily dodged Leonardo's answering lunge with a backflip and grinned sadistically.

"Slacking bro," he chortled.

Leonardo shook his head, "Just warming up," he twirled the swords around with a flick of his wrists and paused to glance over at Michelangelo. He addressed his brother in a low voice so the others couldn't overhear, "Raph, about last night, I talked to Mikey and he's pretty cut up about the girl he's met. I said if Sensei agrees then he should invite her over officially and that we'd support him."

Raphael rolled his eyes and let his sai do the talking for him, Leonardo matched his blows but he could feel his brother's anger reverberating through him. "Ain't your call Leo, it's too dangerous," he growled in reply.

"It's just one girl Raph, there are four of us and I asked Quayla to be here too. Mikey needs this, please be nice okay?" Leonardo countered.

"I am nice," he huffed and caught Leonardo's swords in his sais before shoving him back, "I coulda kicked his ass but I didn't."

"Noted," Leonardo smirked, "So are we all good?"

Raphael nodded begrudgingly and used the opportunity to land what could have been a severe puncture had Leonardo not reacted at the last second. He looked a little surprised that he'd almost caught his older brother out but then a wicked smile spread across his face, "Tired oh fearless leader?" He said it loudly enough to stop Donatello and Michelangelo in their tracks.

Leonardo sheathed his swords and folded his arms across his chest; he feared he knew where this was headed, "No."

"Raph," Donatello cautioned from across the room, "We agreed not to."

Raphael shrugged innocently, "I didn't say anything, just wondered if Leo got any sleep is all, only there was this annoyin' thumping noise and-,"

"Urgh, alright enough!" Leonardo cut him off before he could embarrass him any further, he was already blushing, "I'm sorry if we disturbed you all, it won't happen again."

Donatello's Bo staff bopped him lightly on the head; his approach had been flawlessly silent. "Don't be ridiculous Leo," he gave Raphael a pointed glare and thwacked him on the head a little harder, "We agreed!"

Raphael rubbed his head and muttered, "You and Mikey agreed."

Leonardo noticed the youngest brother had remained silent throughout their exchange, normally he would have at least tried to get a joke in, and that he hadn't was worrying. "Hey Mikey, how did it go with Alexis?" He asked and tried to keep it sounding light.

Michelangelo looked pale under his mask, he swallowed hard. "Uh, she's coming over later, I told her everything," he sounded nervous, nothing like he had the night before; "Sensei said it's okay."

"What did she say when you told her?" Leonardo asked he couldn't help it now; concern crept into his voice like an old friend.

"Not much," Michelangelo replied glumly, Donatello put an arm around him and even Raphael rubbed his shell reassuringly. None of them wanted to see him hurting. "She just said she'd come over tonight and logged out, I think she's angry with me."

Raphael let out a throaty chuckle, "Heh. Q was mad with Leo yesterday, look how that turned out."

Leonardo rolled his eyes, "Yes, thank you Raph," he coloured again, "He's right though," he conceded to Mikey, "Yesterday was a disaster but it made me realise what I was missing, maybe she just needed time to process?"

"Perhaps you would all like to take your minds off such matters and focus on your training."

Their father's voice rang out across the dojo and all of the turtles immediately bowed their heads.

"Hai Sensei," they chorused in shame-filled unison and they began again in earnest. This time Leonardo partnered Michelangelo but he could tell his heart wasn't in it so against his own inner Sensei he went a little easier on him.

"Jeez Mikey, stop fidgeting," Donatello hissed beside his brother.

The two stood expectantly outside the garage door waiting for their guest to arrive but so far she was running late. As each minute ticked by Michelangelo's nerves increased, he had begun tapping his foot five minutes earlier and was now all but hopping on the spot. He ceased bouncing at Donatello's behest but now his hands wouldn't stop shaking so he jammed them under his armpits and clamped them tightly.

"She's not coming," he muttered, "I blew it."

Donatello tutted, "It's only been ten minutes, traffic could be bad," he squinted in the darkness and flicked down his goggles, "I can see headlights." Michelangelo snatched the goggles off Donatello's head so quickly he almost removed the bandana with them. The disgruntled turtle readjusted his mask and shook his head in despair at his brother's antics, he watched him proffer the goggles up to his own eyes then a bright smile appeared on his face.

They slunk back to the shadows when the taxi drew close and observed as a slight, dark haired woman climbed out of the cab. She looked young, barely over eighteen, and donned black framed hipster glasses that she pushed up the bridge of her nose when she leant forward to pay the driver. When the taxi pulled away she stood clasping her bag to her middle and peered anxiously over her glasses.

"Um, Michelangelo?" She whispered into the darkness.

He stepped forward, enough to let the nearest street light pick out his features, and held up a timid hand. "Hey Alexis." There were no disguises today, he stood almost wincing as she gradually appraised him then moved slowly forwards. Her mouth dropped open a little the closer she got, even the night before she had heard more of Raphael than she'd seen as Michelangelo had done his level best to shield her from the barrage of insults that flew their way.

"This is my brother, Donnie," Michelangelo said and pulled Donatello forward so she could see him too, she didn't recoil but she swallowed hard when she realised she was outnumbered. "Please, don't be scared," he begged, "I'm still me."

When Alexis found her voice it came out as a squeak, she covered her mouth with her hand and stammered through it. "A-are a-all of your brothers uhh, t-turtles?"

"Yeah," Michelangelo replied meekly, "Would you like to meet the rest of them? I mean I totally get it if you don't, it's just I don't get to have friends over and you're like, totally cool and I know I should have been honest but you get it right? I um, just wanted you to like me," he rubbed his head and raised his brows so he could give her his best attempt at a puppy-dog stare, it had served him well in the past, his brothers rarely refused a request that preceded it.

She took a minute step backwards and clutched her belongings a bit tighter. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

Donatello held out his palm and sniffed the air experimentally as two large droplets of water splashed on his hand. "It's starting to rain; perhaps you should come in until it passes? It's perfectly safe, I assure you," he gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Michelangelo did the same and nodded vigorously.

Alexis reluctantly obliged and picked her way over the growing puddles towards them, Michelangelo tried his hardest to keep the smile from his face as she followed them down the tight alley into one of the concealed entrances to their home. The old pumping station had served them well; the docking bay that once received the deliveries now housed the Battleshell and provided an excellent space for any engineering projects as well as a gateway to the outside world that didn't involve crawling through the sewers.

The light in the garage was dimmed and when they finally heaved open the door (after completing half a dozen access codes on the control panel) to the living area the stark contrast of brightness made them all blink. Alexis's head tipped up and a small gasp escaped her lips as she took in the enormity of their hidden home.

"Pretty sweet, huh?" Michelangelo nudged her gently and she flinched at the sudden contact, "Sorry, I can show you around if you want..." he gauged her reaction and saw with a sinking heart, fear. "Or we could just sit for a while." She nodded and Michelangelo ushered her to a seat on the least shabby couch, he hovered for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. Donatello coughed to get his attention and pretended to pour himself a drink, Michelangelo cottoned on a second later, "Ohh, right, can I get you something to drink Alexis?"

She whispered and stared at her hands, "Coke if you have it please."

In the kitchen moments later Michelangelo banged his head repeatedly against the refrigerator door while Donatello poured the drinks. He sighed, "Mikey, please don't break that."

"Why?" Another bang signified he was still tormenting the appliance. He uttered in a muffled voice "She thinks I'm a monster."

"What's going on?" Quayla hissed as she slipped in to join them, "Mikey why is your date sitting alone?" She regarded him with folded arms as another bang echoed around the kitchen, "Not going well then?"

When Michelangelo lifted his head and faced her his eyes were glistening, as well as the pain there was anger in their blue depths. "Cute, please, you're human - just tell her I'm not a freak," he spat the last word; it took both occupants of the kitchen by surprise.

Quayla raised her eyebrows and exited the room, she took the glass from Donatello on route, "Yeah sure, I'll see what I can do," she took a hasty intake of breath and mumbled, "No pressure then."

She parked herself at the opposite end of the couch to the other woman and handed her the coke, it was strange to have a visitor in their home and Quayla suddenly felt awkward and exposed, even Master Splinter had opted for anonymity on this occasion. "Hey," she smiled and feared it was more of a grimace but saw the relief register on the girl's face anyway, "I'm Quayla, Mikey's sister in law."

Alexis shoved the glass onto the table and scooted closer to Quayla, she pushed the dark frames up her nose as if to verify that the person in front of her was human and, satisfied with what she saw, held out her hand. "Alexis." The two shook and she dropped her voice to a whisper, "Michelangelo really had me going, I actually thought he was serious! Does he ever take the suit off?"

Groaning inwardly, Quayla shot a menacing glare toward the kitchen, she was sure she caught a glimpse of orange bandana peeking around the door frame. "Alexis," she began gently, "Mikey isn't wearing a suit, and he told you the truth. He actually is a turtle but he's also a great guy, he's kind and funny and you should give him a chance to show you that." Alexis ran her hands through her hair, her breathing had begun to sound laboured, Quayla wondered if she was having a panic attack.

"But, but you, you said you're his sister, you're human!" Alexis exclaimed.

"I'm married to his brother, and yes he's a turtle too," Quayla answered, it came out a little sharper than she anticipated. Leonardo, as it happened was keeping an eye on Jade until she fell asleep, they had decided until they were sure this friend of Michelangelo could be trusted Jade would remain undiscovered.

Alexis nodded slowly as she processed the new information then her eyes darted around the lair, they fixed upon something beyond Quayla's shoulder and with that she seized her hands with her own. "We can escape," she tugged Quayla's hand in a breathless panic, "You don't have to stay here."

Quayla extracted her hands and slapped a palm to her forehead; this girl was getting on her last nerve. She took a deep breath before answering, "Listen to me carefully. I chose to be here. This is my family and they are amazing. You like heroes? Well the turtles are as heroic as it gets, if you want to leave they won't stop you, they'll just worry about you getting home safely."

"Oh," Alexis flushed crimson, "I'm sorry."

"Apologise to Mikey, he really thinks a lot of you," Quayla replied and rose to leave, she spied Leonardo padding quietly down the stairs, he must have finally gotten Jade to sleep. She inclined her head towards the dojo and he nodded, changing course and leaping nimbly over the handrail. He would need to be filled in on the evening's events and she wasn't looking forward to relaying the prejudice she had just witnessed. She leaned over the sofa to whisper in Alexis's ear before she joined her husband, "I'm not a hero, if you hurt Mikey or tell anyone what you saw here I will find you and you will regret it." It was an empty threat of course but better it came from her and not Raphael, which would only serve to fuel the fire.

As she pulled the dojo door across behind her, Quayla snuck a peek back at the sofa. Michelangelo had reappeared and was tentatively offering his companion a game controller, he plunked down beside her when she took it and beamed as he excitedly explained the game to her. She still looked unsure but nodded in the right places and soon the noise of the artificial guns drowned out the need for further conversation.

"Spying?" Leonardo's smooth voice in her ear made her jump slightly. He grinned having managed to sneak up on her successfully and catch her out.

"Yes," she groaned in reply and shut the screen, her hands slid down the lacquered frame as she let out an exasperated sigh, "I, urgh, I..."

"Gave Mikey's date the third degree," He reached behind and hefted a katana from its sheath then handed it to her; she frowned and adopted the first position of their favourite set. "I get it, you were just looking out for him," he spoke softly and fell into step beside her, their blades moved as one cutting through the air in measured precision, golden light from nearby candles picked out the glinting edges of the steel.

"It's not that," Quayla replied and upped the tempo of the manoeuvres, it betrayed her emotion, "She thought you were holding me captive and that Mikey was lining her up to be next. Why would anyone make that assumption? What right does she have to judge any of us?" Her anger spilled over as she punctured the darkened space ahead of her with vigour.

Leonardo paused and extracted his katana from her hand which was still outstretched then gently turned her to face him, her eyes burned into his, "You know precisely why she might think that but in time she won't, hopefully," he added and gestured to the sword in his hand, "Is the invisible man safe now or should I keep this?"

She took a deep breath and retrieved the sword, it was heavier than her own but the worn bindings always felt comforting somehow, "He'll live. Sorry, I just can't stand hearing someone talk about any of you like that. I wish the world saw you the way everyone does in the Nexus, it doesn't matter there."

"Give her time to adjust, Mikey said he trusts her and we have to do the same," he answered and continued where their steps left off.

Quayla shrugged a little unconvinced but decided it was useless to protest further, the wheels were already in motion and the noise level in the living space confirmed it. More voices seemed to be partaking in the game, snippets of half conveyed advice on how best to advance to the next level drifted through to the dojo, it made it hard to concentrate.

Leonardo uttered a small groan as the shouting and laughter increased, he hoped it hadn't caused Jade to stir; he lowered his katana and shot his wife an apologetic smile. "We should probably go join them, for Mikey's sake."

"Okay," she conceded, "For Mikey."

The only seat left was the armchair; Leonardo guided Quayla into it and perched on the arm beside her. He waved at Michelangelo to get his attention and the youngest hit the pause button prompting a few choice words from Raphael, who was apparently winning.

"Bro, you made it!" Michelangelo exclaimed and he turned to Alexis, "Introducing the last turtle of the bunch, our fearless leader. The one and only, Leonardo."

Leonardo squirmed at the grandiose introduction and nodded once at the girl beside his brother, adding a polite, "Hi, nice to meet you."

Michelangelo didn't give Alexis chance to reply. "You've met Cute, I mean Quayla, already right?" He grinned at Quayla and she forced herself to smile in return, the remorse of her earlier threat had set in and she was quite sure Mikey's date wouldn't forget their meeting for quite some time.

"Yes, we met," Alexis replied coolly and focused her attention back on Michelangelo who was only too happy to gloss over the tension that had fallen upon the room. He was in the process of restarting their game when Donatello's shell cell started ringing.

"Hey April," He answered and then listened for a moment, nodding as he did so. He fumbled around the back of the sofa for the remote then clicked a different T.V screen on and the news began rolling across the screen. "Oh yeah, I can see it alright," Donatello replied as the headline, 'GANG VIOLENCE ERUPTS DOWNTOWN,' filled the screen followed by, 'Police struggle to gain control, advising all citizens to stay home.'

"Sounds like our cue," Leonardo stood immediately, "Tell April and Casey if they aren't home already to get somewhere safe."

Donatello nodded and conveyed the message just as the main lair door squealed in protest at being told to open.

"We were already on the way over," April's voice trilled, she made way for Casey behind her. He pulled the security lever up and pushed a button to the left of the door's mechanism, the sound of several bolts deadlocking echoed around them. She breezed in with her eyes focused on the T.V, it still blared out the sensational breaking news.

"Yeah, we was just givin' ya a heads up," Casey added and gave Raphael a passing high five, "Speakin' of heads Raphie boy, whaddaya say we go break some?" He whipped the hockey mask perching on his head down, just the blue of his eyes glinted through and they were full of anticipation.

"Just what the doctor ordered Case," Raphael chuckled and retrieved his Sais from the weapons rack.

Michelangelo's head whirled from Alexis to his brothers, "But, but, what about Alexis?" He stuttered. The girl in question was now all but hiding behind him.

At that April tore her gaze away from the drama playing out in front of her. "Oh, guys, I'm sorry, I didn't realise you had company," the redhead exclaimed then strode purposefully toward Alexis, "I'm April," she grinned and jerked her thumb at her partner, "The big lug is Casey, sorry for barging in."

"That's alright," Alexis replied shyly and nudged Michelangelo gently, "I should go."

The orange clad turtle heaved an enormous sigh, "Duty calls I guess," he appealed to his eldest brother, "Leo, Alexis lives in Hoboken can we drop her off on the way?"

Leonardo rolled his eyes, he would have preferred she stay put but after Quayla's revelation earlier he had no choice but to agree. "Yeah, we'll take the battleshell. Mikey, you take Alexis and get strapped in, it could get rough out there. Donnie, Raph and Casey you too. We'll be with you in a minute."

Quayla slipped the sheaths for her katana over her head and twirled the swords she had plucked from the wall once before sliding them in behind her. She then made a beeline towards April to request babysitting services as Splinter had retired to bed hours ago and she would no doubt be at the lair waiting for Casey to return anyway. Leonardo intercepted her path.

"I think you should stay here."

Quayla did a double take. "What? Why?"

"Because Jade needs you and I need you to be safe," he replied calmly but his gaze had dropped to his feet.

She cupped his face so he couldn't avoid her stare. "Don't bring Jade into this, that's a cheap shot," she kissed him briefly, "I'm coming with you, you need all the help you can get and besides, I promise not to die."

"That's not funny Quayla," Leonardo growled and removed her hands. He stalked off towards the Battleshell leaving her to instruct April and catch up. She almost didn't make it but clunked her seatbelt clip into the backseat just as Donatello tapped the accelerator.

Michelangelo said an awkward goodbye when they dropped Alexis off, he looked like he wanted to hug her but didn't dare so they exchanged an odd, half-hug, and half hand shake at the Battleshell door. He trudged back to his seat and watched her let herself into the apartment building, she appeared a few moments later at a second storey window and waved at him, he returned the wave enthusiastically then as the van pulled away folded his arms and slid further into his seat.

The others exchanged worried glances, Raphael who had moved to sit opposite took the hint and leaned over to him, "Uh, you okay bro?"

Michelangelo shrugged in reply, the steely expression he reserved for the fiercest of battles had settled upon his face. "Those creeps downtown just cost me a date," he muttered, "Put your foot down Donnie, my chucks want chumps."

"Yes Sir," Donatello answered accompanied by the rev of the engine as he floored the accelerator.


End file.
